Spontaneous emission from a V-type three-level atom in a photonic crystal is investigated. Quantum interference between the two atomic transitions affects the constructor of dressed states, and leads to an interesting behavior of the populations in the two upper levels: antitrapping, periodic oscillation, and no population inversion. Those properties depend strongly on the relative position of the upper levels from the forbidden gap and the initial state of the atom, and differ from that of a two-level atom in a photonic crystal. The emitted field, which is composed of localized mode(s) and propagating mode(s), is also studied. Quantum interference can enhance or reduce the energy of the localized field.

• Received 10 March 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.61.043809